Benjamin Franklin once said, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Today's society is built upon the values of freedom, independence and the rights of man. The freedom of expression and the basic rights that were fought for are taken away by strict school dress codes or mandatory school uniforms. Everyone should have the freedom to wear what makes them comfortable. The choices in clothing and accessories can increase self-esteem. Clothing choices can also bring awareness to a particular voice of opinion as well as making it a statement of fitting in with a crowd because the need to be a part of something is a basic need for all humans especially school aged children and teens.

When thinking of letting students wear their choice of clothing versus school uniforms the debate continues for both sides. After researching some of those debates I found the case of Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School where the court said that a student's freedom of expression in school must be protected unless it would seriously interfere with the requirements of appropriate discipline. The clothing we wear is an expression of our independence and right to express ourselves for who we are. School uniforms will do nothing but cut down on a student's individuality. Therefore choice in daily wear is not only our expression of self but a little taste of independence and ultimately increasing student confidence and grades in school.

Many people say that uniforms or strict dress codes help develop the discipline of the student. This could not be further from the truth. School uniforms only create more rules for a student to follow, taking away from the primary function of school: education. School is about education, social and academic, and uniforms or strict dress codes do not encourage a learning...

...﻿Dress Down Day!
Dress down day means you wear regular clothes on a certain day.
We rarely had a dress down day and here are my thoughts about
having a dress down day:
Freedom of Expression- showing a bit of our personality in the style,
color, and the way we wear our clothing.
To me having a dress down day allows me to express myself.
Express – to set forth the opinions, or feelings. Students express...

...the Rio Rancho Public Schools district are irrelevant to the needs of the students. These rules are not helping to provide the proper quality of education, but instead are interrupting classrooms to deal with this so-called problem. The students these days do not need rules such as: dresscode, identification cards, and truancy (not attending school). We are old to understand the consequences of our actions, and we are willing to accept...

...society. Although dresscodes are increasing in popularity throughout the United States, educators do not uniformly agree upon the benefits produced by these regulations (king, 1998). There is no certainty that dresscodes reduce school violence or improve academic achievement. Furthermore, strict dresscodes, which school officials justify because they are aimed at preventing gang...

...English 101
Mrs. Stansell
December 6 2007
Title:
In all schools over the United States students are fighting over clothing. Some children have no respect for themselves when it comes to what they are wearing. They dress like it is a night club or like they are out on a nice sunny day at the beach. This is not appealing to everyone. This is one reason why many schools have gone to schooldresscodes...

...DressCode in School Should be Applied
Schooldresscode has always been a controversial topic in the United States mainly because of American culture. Many schooldresscodes or uniforms have come from England. Uniforms in public school reduce economic and social barriers between students, encourage discipline and affect positive attitude by...

...The Importance of DressCodesDresscodes have been in effect, in all walks of life, for decades upon decades. Dresscodes dictate what is, and what is not appropriate to wear in that location. Business attire, schooldresscodes, and uniforms are all great examples of standards for dressing. The terms that identify what is attire is acceptable...

...Dress for Success
As much as we all wish to deny it, the way we dress has a big impact on our success in life. One way to acknowledge this idea is through the use of school uniforms. Over time, schools have become aware of the importance of uniforms:
In 2007–08, about 18 percent of public school principals reported that their school required students to wear uniforms. In...